Automobile signal system



July 18, 1950 J, KOLICH 2,515,717

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Oct. 19, 1948 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL SYSTEM Peter 3'. Kolich, Hayward, Calif.

Application October lil, 1948, Serial No. 55,396

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in visible and audible stop and turn indicators for motor vehicles.

It is a principal object of thi invention to provide a visible indicator controllable at the will of the operator to indicate to occupants of other vehicles and to pedestrians the intention of the operator to turn or stop his vehicle.

It is another object of this invention to provide in connection with such an indicator means for illuminating the pointer to increase its visibility during night-time or when weather conditions are adverse.

It is a further object of this invention to pro-- vide in connection with such an indicator an audible signal, such as the horn of the vehicle, which is arranged to sound during the time that the indicator is moving toward indicating position so as to attract the attention of passers-by and operators of other vehicles to the visible signal.

Another object of this invention is to provide a manual control readily accessible to the operator of the vehicle which may be set to indicate a stop or turn and which thereby simultaneously positions a pointer in a prominent location on the outside of the vehicle to indicate whether a stop or turn i being made and the direction of the turn, illuminate the pointer and sound the horn all without further attention from the operator.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing the device installed on a vehicle; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the essentials of the mechanical and electrical circuit for operation of the device.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a visible and audible signal to indicate to operator of other vehicles contemplated changes in direction or stoppage of the vehicle on which it is installed. For such purpose left hand pointer 263 and right hand pointer 28 in the shape of arrows are installed in suitable housings 22 on opposite sides of the vehicle so that the pointers and 2| are normally concealed from view except when the mechanism hereinafter described is actuated. The control for the pointers and 2! consists of an actuating lever 23 conveniently mounted on the dashboard 24 or other readily accessible portion of the interior of the vehicle which may be readily grasped by the operator when a change in direction or stoppage of the vehicle is contemplated. Actuation of the lever 23 under the control of the operator causes the (Cl. Ni -32?) proper pointer 25% or 2| to be exposed from with in its housing 22 and likewise causes illumination of said pointer. At the same time a horn signal is given so as to attract the attention by motorist or pedestrian to the visible signal.

arrow si ped pointers 23 and are pivoted on pivots 2-5 adjacent their upper ends so that the pointers normally extend vertically downward. To upwardly extending portions 23 of the pointers are attached end of a cable 28 which is connected through pulleys 2S and 35 to the actuating mechanism hereinafter described so that as the cable 28 is retracted by actuation of the lever 23 the arrow shaped pointers are caused to pivot about the pivot 26 and assume an angle with respect to the vertical. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings two positions of the pointers 2% are provided, one ap-- proximately horizontal position 32 for indication of a left turn of the vehicle and one position pointing downward at an angle of approximately i5 indicating full stoppage of the vehicle. When the levers have assumed either position by electric circuits hereinafter described the arrows are illuminated by bulbs 35 fixed thereupon.

The inner ends of cables 28 are attached to non-conductive shifter bar 38 which is held for horizontal reciprocating movement in guideways 31. The shifter bar is elongated in a horizontal direction and approximately midway of its length there are provided two vertically disposed bifurcated extensions 38 and 39. The upper exten-- sion 38 is adapted to receive a pin ii attached to the lower end of pivoted actuating lever 23 said actuating lever being pivoted at 22. Thus, as indicated in Fig. 2, as the actuating lever 23 is swung towards the left, the pin M is swung toward the right and correspondingly the shifter bar 3 1 is moved toward the right, thus pulling or retracting the cable 28 and causing the left hand pointer 28 to extend outside its housing 22 and assume an angle with respect to the vertical. A portion of the actuating lever 23 engages notches 43 to 57 inclusive in the quadrant 48. The central notch of the quadrant 43 is designed to engage the actuating lever 23 and hold it in position when no turn or stop is indicated. The two notches 44 and it immediately to either side of the central notch Q3 of the quadrant are intended to engage the actuating lever when it is desired to signal a stop, and the extreme out ward notches 45 and ii are designed to engage the lever for indication of left and right turns, respectively. Hence if the operator of the vehicle intends to make a left turn, he grasps the actuating lever 23 and pushes it toward the left where it engages the left turn notch 45 of the quadrant 48, and this results in the left hand pointer 2!] assuming a horizontal position, as has already been described. Similarly, if a right turn is intended the operator pushes the actuating lever 23 to the extreme right notch ll and the pointer 21 on the right hand side of the vehicle assumes a horizontal position. When it is desired to signal an intended stop, the actuating lever 23 may be moved to either of the intermediate notches 44 or 46, the choice of the left or right hand intermediate notch being optional with the operator depending on which side traffic is most likely to try to pass the vehicle.

Simultaneously with the extension of the arrow shaped pointers 2i! and 2! from their housings 22 illumination of the arrows is accomplished by an electrical circuit. Establishment of the electrical circuit is made by movement of the actuating lever 23. A non-conductive bar &9 is attached to the lever 23 above its pivot point t2 and to opposite ends of said rigid bar are attached switch members El and 52. The switch members are pivoted midway of their length at pivots 53 and their opposite ends carry contact members 5 to engage fixed contact points 56 and 5'1. A lead wire 58 is attached to one of the poles 59 of electrical battery 60 and to the switch member M. The contact elements 5 6 and *5? are attached by lead wire #52 to a terminal 33 of the rig-ht hand arrow and one end of the filament of said illuminating bulb 34 is likewise attached to said terminal. The other end of the filament of said illuminating bulb 34- is attached to terminal it which is grounded to the vehicle body at El. The opposite pole B6 of the battery $8 is likewise grounded. Thus, when the contact element 54 engages either the contact element 56 or the contact element 5?, an electrical circuit is closed which results in illumination of the right turn indicator 21 when either a stop or a right turn is being signalled. Gorrespondingly, shifting of the actuating lever :23 to the left to indicate either a stop or a left turn brings the contact member 68 into engagement with either the contact member 69 or H and this establishes through lead wire it and ground it illumination of the bulb 34 in the left hand pointer 26-.

The lower extension 3.9 .of the shifter bar .36 is designedto control sounding of the horn I i of the vehicle on which the mechanism is installed or other audible signal. The fork of extension 39 engages a pin 35 attached to one end of lever 11 pivoted approximately midway of its length at pivot T8, and the opposite end of which bears the electrical contact point l9. As the actuating lever 23 is swung about its pivot 22, lever ll is likewise pivoted about its pivot H3, and the contact point '79 passes over stationary contact points St to 8d inclusive, all of which are connected by lead Wire '86 to one terminal of horn M, and the other horn terminal is grounded at t'i. Pole 59 of batteryfil is connected by lead wires 5,8 and 8&3 to the lever H. The contact "point "83 is fixed at a position slightly in advance of the position which contact point 79 assumes when a stop signal is being shown on the left hand side of the vehicle. Thus, the horn sounds slightly before the pointer assumes the stop position but does not continue to sound during the entire time while such signal is being exhibited onthe vehicle. Similarly, in the case of a .left turn signal when the contact point 39 passes over contact points 4 83 and 84, the horn sounds twice briefly in order to direct attention to the exhibition of the signal. A single sounding of the horn upon exhibition of the pointer on a right hand side of the vehicle in stop position and a double sounding of the horn when said pointer assumes a right hand signal is made.

The mechanism for moving the left and right hand pointers, the mechanism for controlling the illumination of the pointers and the mechanism for sounding the horn are all enclosed in a suitable casing 89 mounted on the dashboard 24 of the vehicle in such position as not to obstruct the view of the operator through the windshield 9! of the vehicle.

When it is contemplated that a right turn will be made, it is desirable that in addition to the pointer on the right hand side of the vehicle be ing elevated to the horizontal, the pointer on the left hand side of the vehicle should be elevated to point upwardly at an angle of approximately l5. In order to accomplish this result a rigid bar s2 is fastened to the actuating lever 23 and attached at its opposite end to one extremity of a lever 93 which is pivoted at its opposite and lower extremity by pivot 94. Approximately midof the length of the lever 93 is located cable connection 96 to which is connected one end of flexible cable 97, the opposite end of which is attached to upper portion 2'! of the left hand pointer 2d. The cable is guided by pulley 98. Thus, when the actuating lever 23 is moved tothe extreme right hand notch 41 of quadrant 48, the cable 92 pulls lever fl to-th-e right and this motion is transmitted through cable 87 to elevate the left hand pointer :28 to an angle of 45 above the horizontal as shown by reference numeral 9d in Fig. 2, thus indicating a contemplated right turn. In order that the pointer 2-!) be illuminated when indicating a right turn, a contact point 95 is positioned for engagement with contact econ switch member 5%. Thus, the contact member 5 3 engages both contact :5 and-contact 95 when the actuating lever 2:3 is at notch 4! and the pointers 2i and 20 are both illuminated. 1

It is understood that the invention has bee illustrated and described in specific form for pur poses of clarity of understanding :by way of example but that various changes in assembly and design and the like may be practiced within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

Turn and stop indicators comprising a pair aOf arrow shaped pointers mounted .exteriorly on opposite sides of .a vehicle, a 'pair .of housings normally concealing said pointers, a cable .o.on nected at one end the right hand pointer :for pivoting said pointer to extend outside its 110118- ing and exhibit a visib'lesig-nal for .an intended rig-ht hand turn, a slidable bar connected to the opposite end of :said cable and mounted on said vehicle, a pivoted actuating lever manually Derable to slide said bar, electric switch clement connected for movement by and with said actuating lever and establishin contact with a contact point to close an-electric circuit to i-lhuninate said indicator. "a secand' electric switch element connected for movement iby and with said actuatirig lever :and establishing contact with acsmtact point to close an electric circuit "to energize an audible signal slightly prior to said indicator arriving in indicatin ncsttion, .a pivoted lever connected for movement by and with said actuating lever. a cable connected to said pivoted lever at 5 one end and connected at its Opposite end to the left hand pointer for moving said left hand pointer to exhibit a visible signal for an intended right hand turn.

PETER. J. KOLICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Scoggins et a1 Feb. 10, 1925 Harbord Oct. 14, 1929 Meehan July 8, 1930 David Sept. 8, 1931 Colla et a1 Sept. 22, 1936 Chang May 10, 1938 Desaulnlers et al. May 6, 1941 

